What The Royal Parks does

The Royal Parks is a UK-registered charity (No. 1172042) and company limited by guarantee (No. 10016100) that manages London's eight Royal Parks and other historic open spaces, covering over 5,000 acres of urban green space. The portfolio includes Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St. James's Park, The Green Park, The Regent's Park & Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park, Richmond Park (2,500 acres), Bushy Park (over 1,000 acres), Brompton Cemetery, and Victoria Tower Gardens. The organisation serves millions of annual visitors with 96% satisfaction rates, providing free public access to heritage landscapes featuring over 170,000 mature and veteran trees, wild deer populations, archaeological sites dating to Roman times, and Grade I listed gardens including the Isabella Plantation.

The business model is diversified across four primary revenue streams: (1) Sports and leisure bookings through a dedicated online platform (sportsandleisure.royalparks.org.uk) for tennis, padel, swimming at the Serpentine Lido, boating, cricket, and pitch sports; (2) Commercial licensing for professional dog walkers (£225-£300/year), fitness trainers, filming and photography (£100/permit), and event organisers; (3) Charitable donations, legacy gifts, bench dedications, philanthropy, and The Royal Parks Nature Lottery (£1/week subscription, £25,000 jackpot); and (4) On-site catering concessions. Major cultural events including BST Hyde Park concerts and Wimbledon viewing provide significant commercial income alongside community sports development programmes delivered through FA and LTA partnerships.

The organisation operates with 101-250 employees under Chief Executive Andrew Scattergood CBE (since June 2015), with a Board of Trustees chaired by Dr Linda Yueh CBE. Recent leadership appointments across CFO (Julia Cavanagh, June 2022), Director of Corporate Services (Bidisha Kondal, December 2022), Director of Parks (Darren Share MBE, January 2024), Director of HR (Lucy Graley, January 2025), and General Counsel (Vanessa French, August 2025) indicate active organisational scaling. The regulatory framework is anchored in the Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces Regulations 1997 and the Royal Parks (Trading) Act 2000, with statutory protections that create structural barriers to competitive entry.

Name

The Royal Parks

Legal name

The Royal Parks Limited

Website

https://www.royalparks.org.uk/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Royal Parks is a UK-registered charity managing London's eight Royal Parks across 5,000+ acres, providing free public access to historic green spaces while generating revenue through sports facility bookings, commercial licences, charitable donations, the Nature Lottery, and major cultural events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Park Management

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Historical Sites (712120)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH), Conservation Parks & Private Nature Reserves (Visitor Operations) (THAAAFAB), National Park & Protected Area Tours (THAJAIAA)

Keywords

• Urban park management
• Recreational sports facilities
• Nature conservation services
• Commercial park licensing
• Charity fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Sports and Leisure Bookings: Revenue from booking sports facilities including tennis courts, padel courts, swimming (Serpentine Lido), boating, cricket pitches, and sports pitches. Online booking system manages individual and block bookings.
2. Commercial Licences: Licensing fees from commercial dog walking, fitness training, filming and photography (commercial and wedding), and event hosting in the parks.
3. Charitable Donations and Fundraising: Donations, fundraising in memory, legacy gifts, bench dedications, philanthropy and major giving. Nature Lottery provides £1/week participation with £25,000 prize pool.
4. Catering and Concessions: On-site catering concessions at sports facilities and park locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Royal Parks is the registered charity that manages and conserves London's eight Royal Parks covering over 5,000 acres of historic urban green space, offering free public access for visitors along with bookable sports and leisure facilities (tennis courts, padel courts, Serpentine Lido swimming, boating, cricket, and pitch sports), commercial licensing schemes for professional operators, wildlife and tree conservation programmes, community sports development initiatives, and charitable fundraising channels including the weekly Nature Lottery.

Product overview

The Royal Parks operates as a charity managing London's eight Royal Parks, offering a unified platform of park management services combined with sports and leisure facilities. The core offering includes the main website for visitor information, donations, and general park management, alongside a dedicated Sport & Leisure booking platform (sportsandleisure.royalparks.org.uk) for reserving tennis/padel courts (The Courts), pitches (The Pitches), swimming sessions at Serpentine Lido, and boating facilities. Additional services include commercial licences for dog walking, fitness training, and photography permits. The organization also runs community sports programmes, the Nature Lottery for fundraising, and apprenticeship schemes in horticulture and park management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sport & Leisure Booking Platform Online booking system for sports facilities including tennis courts, padel courts, swimming at Serpentine Lido, cricket grounds, boating, and pitch bookings across Hyde Park, The Regent's Park, and Greenwich Park. The platform accepts card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay payments and supports individual and block bookings for clubs, leagues, and schools.
• The Courts Tennis and padel court facilities located at Hyde Park, The Regent's Park, and Greenwich Park, offering court bookings, coaching programmes, and tournament facilities to individual visitors, clubs, and corporate bookers.
• The Pitches Sports pitch facilities at Hyde Park and Greenwich Park, and The Hub in The Regent's Park, offering football, rugby, and other team sport bookings for clubs, leagues, schools, and corporate teams.
• Serpentine Lido Swimming Open water swimming facilities in Hyde Park's Serpentine Lake, offering swim sessions with changing facilities, lockers, and sunlounger hire, with concession pricing for 16-17 year olds, students, and over 65s with valid ID.
• Boating Boating facilities available in Hyde Park, The Regent's Park, and Greenwich Park, including accessible boats with lifting equipment for visitors seeking recreational rowing and pedalo activities.
• Commercial Dog Walking Licences Licensing scheme for professional dog walkers operating in Royal Parks, with annual fees of £225 per walker per year (excl. VAT) at Richmond and Bushy Parks and £300 per walker per year (excl. VAT) at all other Royal Parks, plus £100 per vehicle per year parking permits for Bushy and Richmond Parks.
• Fitness Training Licences Licences for personal trainers and group fitness instructors to conduct approved fitness activities in Royal Parks, with code of conduct and insurance requirements governing professional operations.
• Wedding & Lifestyle Photography Permits Photography permits for wedding and lifestyle sessions in Royal Parks at £120 incl. VAT for one-hour sessions for up to 10 people with a single photographer, with two groups permitted at any one time.
• The Royal Parks Nature Lottery Weekly lottery supporting London's wildlife conservation, with £1 per week entry and a £25,000 jackpot prize, funding wildlife, trees, and free access to 5,000 acres of green space across the Royal Parks.
• Royal Parks Apprenticeships Apprenticeship programmes in horticulture, park management, and charity management, offering three-year training courses with recognised qualifications for entrants into the parks and charity sectors.
• Community Sports Programmes Sports development initiatives including Free Park Tennis, girls' football pathways, Wildcats sessions, inclusion leagues, and partnerships with local schools and community organisations, delivered with FA and LTA partnerships to engage underserved communities.
• Major Cultural Events Hosting Major events strategy hosting cultural events including Wimbledon viewing at BST Hyde Park Open House, concerts, and festivals in the Royal Parks, providing venues and event delivery as a paid offering for event organisers and brand sponsors.
• Commercial Filming & Photography Services Commercial filming and photography access across the Royal Parks estate for film production companies, brands, and event organisers requiring iconic central London locations, governed under the commercial licences framework.
• The Royal Parks Website Official website (royalparks.org.uk) providing park information, visitor guides, event listings, sports facility bookings, donation and fundraising options, and learn resources covering schools, families, adults, and access & communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of visitors rate overall quality, safety and cleanliness as excellent or good
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Football Association (FA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with FA to deliver Wildcats sessions and primary school football leagues in Westminster. Strengthened girls' football pathway at Hyde Park, complementing the existing girls' league in Regent's Park. Supports development of young players before joining competitive teams.
• Lawn Tennis Association (LTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLTA partnership for Free Park Tennis programme giving more people opportunity to try or develop tennis. The Courts at Hyde Park, Regent's Park, and Greenwich Park are LTA accredited. Support for those at risk of homelessness through free tennis sessions.
• Community and Charitable OrganisationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborations with charities to engage underserved communities, offering free coached tennis sessions and fitness classes to remove cost barriers and promote inclusive participation. Inclusion League supports those with learning difficulties or disabilities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Historic Royal Palaces: Independent charity that looks after unoccupied royal palaces (Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace). Operates historic UK heritage estate on a similar charitable/commercial revenue model with ticketing and events.
• Central Park Conservancy: Nonprofit that manages New York's Central Park under a public-private partnership with NYC Parks. Direct analogue: urban park charity operating under specific legislation, with donations, events, and commercial activities.
• National Trust: UK conservation charity managing historic houses, gardens, and natural landscapes with paid memberships, donations, and commercial licensing. Closest direct peer in scale, charitable model, and heritage estate management.
• English Heritage: UK charity managing historic sites, monuments, and gardens (Stonehenge, Dover Castle). Comparable model: heritage estate, paid admissions, membership, donations, and commercial licensing under charitable governance.
• Royal Horticultural Society (RHS): UK charity promoting horticulture through gardens, shows, and membership programmes. Shares the charitable model, horticultural expertise, and donor/membership revenue approach; several Royal Parks trustees also serve on the RHS board.

Broad incumbents

• Forestry England: Government agency managing England's public forests. Comparable visitor-amenity operator in UK green space but government-owned rather than charity-structured, and focused on forests rather than urban parks.
• The Wildlife Trusts: UK federation of 46 wildlife trusts managing nature reserves across the country. Comparable charitable nature/conservation operator but with broader geographic footprint and more nature-reserve rather than urban-park focus.

Others

• Crown Estate: Independent commercial business that manages the Crown's portfolio including Windsor Great Park. Relevant counterparty and adjacent estate manager; Royal Parks' chief executive also serves as a Crown Estate Paving Commission Commissioner.
• AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group): Global live events and venue operator; runs BST Hyde Park concerts in partnership with The Royal Parks. Relevant as the commercial event partner enabling the parks' major-events revenue stream.

Regional players

• London Wildlife Trust: London-focused nature conservation charity managing urban nature reserves. Smaller scale than The Royal Parks but operates in the same London geography with conservation, community, and donor-funded model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theroyalparks
• Facebookfacebook.com/theroyalparkslondon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/royal-parks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Royal Parks